1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wireless keyboards, and, more particularly, to an optical wireless keyboard used as an input terminal of an information processing device, such as a computer or a communication device, wherein the remote control function of electrical appliances is combined.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various information processing devices, such as personal computers (hereinafter referred to as a xe2x80x9cPCxe2x80x9d), employ a keyboard as an input unit, which is provided with letter keys for inputting characters, e.g. letters and numbers, and function keys for performing various control functions. Known keyboards are connected through a cable to the information processing devices. As the PC has become more popular in general households, there has been a problem that the cable is obstructive or too short for satisfactory use. To solve this problem, a wireless keyboard employing infrared rays has recently been developed.
Along with the recent popularization of the PC, there is a growing demand for taking image information from a television (hereinafter referred to as a xe2x80x9cTVxe2x80x9d) or a videocassette recorder (hereinafter referred to as a xe2x80x9cVCRxe2x80x9d) or music information from a CD player or an audio cassette player into the PC. It is thus necessary to connect imaging devices and music devices to the PC. However, even when the imaging devices and the music devices are connected to the PC, they still are controlled by their own control units. Recent imaging devices and music devices are remotely controlled using infrared rays, and hence each device is equipped with a remote controller. The names, locations, and forms of control buttons, as well as the operating procedures differ for each remote controller. Therefore, it is burdensome to prepare a plurality of exclusive remote controllers attached to various electrical appliances around a user, who selects each remote controller for each device and operates the remote controller separately from the keyboard. Mistakes are likely to be made.
There is a commercial-type remote controller which can be used in common by various optically-controlled TVs and the like. However, such a remote controller cannot be used unless a manufacturer code is preset by inputting a symbol corresponding to the manufacturer code, which is defined for performing selective, optical control of specific electrical appliances and which is different for each manufacturer. In general, the symbols corresponding to the manufacturer codes are number sequences. A list of number sequences is separately attached to each device, and hence there is no problem in the initial setting. However, the list is prone to be lost, and, once the list is lost, it is impossible to reset the remote controller when the batteries are changed or the remote controller of a different manufacturer is set.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which prevents complexity and mistakes caused by controlling electrical appliances by separate remote controllers during operation of a keyboard.
To this end, there is provided a wireless keyboard provided with an optical signal transmitter, which includes an inputting function to an information processing device and a control function of an electrical appliance. The wireless keyboard according to the present invention eliminates the burden of providing a cable because it is wireless. The single wireless keyboard performs inputting to the information processing device and control of the electrical appliances, dispensing with a plurality of remote controllers for the electrical appliances, except for the keyboard itself.
It is preferable that embedded in the wireless keyboard is a plurality of manufacturer codes, for controlling the electrical appliances, from which a specific manufacturer code is selected and transmitted to control the electrical appliance. Because a plurality of transmittable manufacturer codes are embedded in the wireless keyboard, the single wireless keyboard may selectively control various electrical appliances of different manufacturers.
Preferably, embedded in the wireless keyboard is an abbreviation symbol corresponding to each manufacturer code. The abbreviation symbol may be input to select the manufacturer code. In transmission of the manufacturer code of the electrical appliance, it is not necessary to input a complex number sequence but to input an abbreviated symbol, such as a manufacturer abbreviation. Therefore the wireless keyboard according to the present invention facilitates a pre-setting procedure.
It is preferable that the manufacturer code is input by operation of letter keys on the wireless keyboard. Thus, it is possible to set the manufacturer code by using the general keys on the keyboard.
Preferably, the wireless keyboard is designed to display control-operation information for performing control on a display unit of the information processing device when controlling the electrical appliances. Thus, even if the manufacturer code or the abbreviation symbol is forgotten, it is possible to display a list of manufacture codes and abbreviation symbols, as well as a control procedure of the electrical appliances, on the display unit when necessary.
The wireless keyboard may include at least one of a target switching key for switching the transmission target between the information processing device and the electrical appliance and an operation-control key for controlling the operating state of the specific electrical appliance. Thus, the single wireless keyboard can perform switching between the input to the information processing device and the control of the electrical appliance as well as operating-state control of the electrical appliance.